


Beside You

by Marasa



Series: Rats Stick Together [2]
Category: Deadly Class (Comics), Deadly Class (TV)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Game Night, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Napping, but not really, marcus respects women, rat pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 12:53:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18366419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marasa/pseuds/Marasa
Summary: The first day is always the worst.





	Beside You

**Author's Note:**

> Warning that this fic references menstruation. If that’s triggering for you, you should probably skip this one. 
> 
> Take care of yourself! <3

The first day is always the worst. 

In Poisons Lab, Petra finds herself distracted by the gradually increasing degree of pain twisting in her abdomen. It was bad in the morning but even worse now and there’s no sign of it easing up. She lets Viktor do most of the work, which worries Denke because last time that happened acid ate a hole in the floor.

She sits out in Atypical Martial Arts. She tries her best to seem unaffected by the warring inside of her but her brow pinches in intense discomfort every few minutes. It’s a good thing everyone is too busy getting flipped and slammed into the floor to notice Petra folding her arms under her belly button and resting her forehead on her knee.

The Scorpio Slasher, ever perceptive, doesn’t even try to fuck with her during Fundamentals of Psychopathy. He simply rolls past her without so much as a glance and instead lays into Brandy for being so ignorant and for once in her life, Petra finds herself agreeing with a serial killer about something. 

After all of her classes have finished, Petra takes an extra hot shower and changes into the softest pajamas she has- a loose tank top that smells like Billy and Marcus’ plaid pajama pants. 

She had hoped both would help remedy her discomfort but Petra returns to her dorm room still feeling achy and tired and overall like shit. 

She lays down on her bed and drapes a hand over her eyes to block the light of the nearby lamp. She groans through gritted teeth as yet another wave of hot pain radiates from her torso.

Petra jumps at the sudden loud knocking at the door.

“What?” she snaps, just wanting the stupid knocking to stop. 

Marcus enters in his own pair of comfortable clothes and a board game under his left arm. 

Shit; Petra forgot it was her turn to host game night.

“Fuuuck,” she hisses quietly to herself for more than one reason. 

“What?” Marcus says. “We do this every week.”

Petra just grunts and doesn’t take her hand from her eyes. 

Thoroughly confused, Marcus goes to ask her what’s wrong but stops when he notices her hand currently resting on her lower stomach. 

Oh.

Marcus puts the board game down on Petra’s desk; it’s no longer important. He comes over to stand by her bedside. His tone is different now, much softer and as comforting as a warm blanket. 

“Do you need me to get you anything? I can go to the store.”

And of course Marcus would do something like that, offering his own time and money to buy her whatever she needs. 

Petra shakes her head. She exhales forcefully when the next cramp is accompanied by a hint of nausea and an ache in her lower back. 

Fuck, she really doesn’t feel good.

She doesn’t even notice that Marcus has gone suspiciously quiet. She doesn’t exactly care. She’s only reminded of his presence a moment later when he quietly calls her name.

He holds a water bottle and two pills of ibuprofen out to her. She nods a thanks and takes them from his palm. 

Now, Marcus knows if he asks Petra if she  _ wanted _ him to lay down with her that she would most likely be too proud to admit if she did. 

So instead he carefully chooses his words and asks, “Can I lay down with you?”

There’s a beat of consideration. 

Then Petra nods.

Marcus is careful when crawling over her. He tries not to jostle her unnecessarily as he settles behind her in a spooning position. 

The Rats were close with each other in the privacy of their own rooms or wherever they found themselves alone. The four of them slept against each other and fit their faces in each other’s necks and clung with arms and legs around each other.  

Tonight is no different in the degree of just how much they care about each other. If anything, it’s just a little more. 

Petra breathes a quiet growl of frustration and digs her fingers into her abdomen for a moment.

Marcus sits up a little and watches her face as he slips his hand under hers carefully, going slow enough for her to tell him to fuck off. 

But Petra doesn’t. 

Instead, she moves her hand out of the way to rest on the outside of her thigh. 

The trust is there. This wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t.  

Marcus begins gently kneading Petra's lower stomach with his calloused fingertips before rubbing the area in constant, firm circles with his palm.

Petra sighs through her nose.

“Is this okay?” he asks quietly. 

Eyes closed, she nods. “Yeah.”

Petra doesn’t know how to admit just how good this feels and how this is helping so much, so instead she crosses her arm over her chest to hold his bicep where it is.

Marcus smiles against her shoulder. 

Petra’s fingers curl against him.

“What’s this?” Lex says as he enters into the room without so much as a knock, Billy trailing behind him. They’re both wearing their game night attire of sweatpants and band t-shirts. “Buncha bums lazing around on a Friday night? Do we not have plans?”

“Lex.” Marcus’ tone is a warning. 

Lex drops his annoying schtick as he nears closer. His expression shifts to one of vague concern.

“What’s wrong, darling?” 

“Don’t feel good,” Petra says. 

“Any chance you just don’t wanna get your ass kicked in Monopoly again?”

She smirks weakly. Lex sweeps a strand of hair from her face.

They understand that tonight’s plans have changed but they don’t let Petra feel bad about it. 

Lex stretches and mentions how he needs a night off. Billy agrees, saying how he’s feeling a little fuzzy and sleepy considering how he and Lex just got back from sharing a joint on the roof.

”Ah fuck you guys,” Marcus says with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, we owe you a joint,” Lex says.

He settles on the bed behind Petra’s legs while Billy goes over to the record player and puts on a quiet record that fits the change of mood. 

“Sorry you’re feeling bad,” Billy murmurs once he comes over to sit down by Petra’s knees. 

And he’s looking at her so sweetly and considerate that it melts Petra’s heart but she doesn’t let it show. 

It feels good to have them all here. Warm. Thankfully they give her space and aren’t leaning against her legs or sitting on her feet. All Petra wants is to be comfortable enough to fall asleep so she doesn’t have to feel the harsh cramping of her insides. 

Marcus continues rubbing circles against the soft pudge of her bloated stomach. Petra dozes with her fingers knotted in Marcus’ sleeve to keep him close.

She hums lightly as she wakes half an hour later. Her fingers stretch across Marcus’s bicep before returning to balling up in his sleeve. 

Marcus, noticing the renewed grip of her fingers against him, slips his nose behind her ear, his lips buzzing against her skin in a ticklish hum that actually has her smiling sleepily.

Petra opens her eyes fully to see Billy watching her shyly from the edge of the bed. She patiently waits for him and sure enough, it’s only a few seconds more before he slips down to lay facing her. 

He blushes when Petra runs a hand through his hair. 

“Hey,” Billy says.

“Hi,” Petra says. 

“Are you feeling better?”

Petra stretches a little, considering her body. “I’m getting there,” she decides. 

Marcus is talking about music quietly with Lex who is sitting behind him by his hip. Lex’s socked foot has found a place between Petra’s. Their toes curl against each other every few seconds. 

Although his pace is much slower, Marcus’ hand still on her stomach continues moving in small circles. Petra strokes the scars on his forearm absently. 

“Why are you doing this?” Petra murmurs.

The talking behind her quiets. The record is still playing, gentle and low.

“Doing what?” Marcus asks softly.

“Helping me.”

“We care about you, Petra. Of course we would help you.”

“Most guys think it’s gross.”

“Most guys are stupid.” 

And these guys, her Rat boys, are different than the other assholes around here. 

Petra’s confident Lex would go down to the store and pick up a box of tampons without a fuss if she needed it. Billy’s the most adamant cuddler of their group and would act as her hot water bottle if she asked him to. No doubt Marcus would stay plastered to her side all week until she told him to get away.

They care about each other like that.

They love each other.

Petra’s fingers intertwine with Billy’s. Marcus hums against her shoulder. Lex’s foot rubs up and down her calf. 

“Thank you,” Petra murmurs and she means for everything. 


End file.
